“The responsibility we have for our sport forbids us to accept or ignore doping”
Bicycle manufacturer Canyon has confirmed today that it is assessing its relationship with multiple Maillot Vert winner Erik Zabel in light of his admission of long-term doping use, although it has said that a final decision will only be made after speaking in detail with the former pro.
Zabel is one of the Canyon brand ambassadors, and also works with the ‘Young Heroes,’ a group of talented young riders that the company is helping to develop.
The German is a mentor to the young riders, and last week’s news will have come as a disappointment to them.
“Canyon stands for Pure Cycling, which reflects the passion for our sport. The responsibility we have for our sport forbids us to accept or ignore doping. Therefore we’re sorry that doping was proven in the past of one of our heroes,” the company said, in response to a question about Zabel’s status by VeloNation.
“As a successful equipment supplier for pro sports, Canyon has no influence on the way of life of the riders. We trust in their honesty. Therefore the disappointment is even bigger after the latest news.”
However although the Katusha team, the UCI’s Professional Cycling Council and the pro races Zabel was involved with have suspended or ended their collaboration with him, Canyon states it has not yet reached a decision.
“Before taking any steps we want to discuss this with Erik in detail. We know Erik since many years not only as a professional cyclist but also as a great person and we want to consider this before taking any decision,” it stated.
“Of course our philosophy won’t change: We’ll keep working as hard as we can to build the perfect bike – In order to support the cyclist community with products which allow fair performances and which will inspire all of us to enjoy our great sport.”
In recent days, Zabel indicated via his Twitter feed that he was taking a step back from his cycling commitments at this point in time.